AN:/Well hello there, this is my first ever fanfiction!:D I do hope you enjoy it.
Diclaimer: I'm not JK Rowling, these are her wonderful characters

New AN:/So I decided to edit this chapter, which I wrote a long time ago now, because I was in the mood to write something and this was truly awful beforehand because I first wrote it when I was approximately 13 years old...maybe I'll get around to reworking the entire fic sometime, but that's extremely doubtful. Anyway, new and slightly improved version of chapter 1.

Lily Evans pulled her long red hair behind her shoulders and took a shaky breath. O.W.L revision was getting fierce, with teachers piling on the homework and students losing their temper at almost anything.
Lily herself was more stressed than she had ever been, and the last thing she needed was James bloody Potter strolling around the halls, apparently without a care in the world. So why, she asked herself, why did he always just seem to pop up wherever she went? Lily scratched her quill against her nose and looked around at her surroundings. She was stuffed into a broom cupboard on the third floor, with her Defence homework sprawled out in front of her. It had been half an hour since she'd seen Potter, who had appeared in the library with Sirius Black, claiming he desperately needed her help with a particularly nasty charms question. Lily, who knew full well that Potter was third in the class only behind her and Remus Lupin (which she admitted begrudgingly; he was good at Charms), had quickly told him to go away, however he'd insisted. Lily had left whenever Potter had stood up and began to loudly recite a poorly written poem in her honour, which quickly drew the attention of the eagle-eyed librarian. She had looked behind her before leaving the library, catching a glimpse of Sirius howling with laughter as the librarian repeatedly batted James over the head with a piece of rolled up parchment.
Lily scowled to herself, and continued writing for a moment. At least her essay was nearly complete; working in the broom cupboard had its perks, she decided.

Some time passed, and Lily was beginning to feel more relaxed, until...she heard a noise.
A very particular noise that often haunted her deepest and darkest nightmares; the sound of James Potter's laugh. Her quill stopped. Lily looked up at the cupboard door, hearing footsteps coming ever closer. And somehow, she just knew it was him. Lily let out a breath. Even Potter's footsteps were arrogant.
Lily braced herself as the door opened, the noises of the castle flooding in and destroying her momentary sanctuary. She looked up, the glare she always saved especially for him already plastered on her face, and there he was; James Potter, in all his over inflated, egotistical glory.

"Ah Evans, there you-"
Lily gritted her teeth and stared up at his stupid, crooked grin.
"-are!"
He looked down at her surroundings, raising an eyebrow.
"Potter, how the bloody hell did you find me here?"
James ignored her question.
"A broom cupboard? I think you're the first person in all of Hogwarts' history to use these cupboards alone. If you get what I mean."
Lily stared blankly at him, the conversation already taking up all of her willpower.
James smirked suddenly. "I think, in that exact place where you're sitting, I had my first kiss."
Lily sucked in a breath and stood up, books clattering from her knees onto the floor. James continued, staring past her with overly false nostalgia lighting up his eyes. He put a hand over his heart dramatically.
"Lucia Bulstrode...she was fourth year, and I was first. Oh, the younger days..."
Lily groaned.

"Potter, as much as I enjoy listening to you talking utter rubbish, some of us actually care about passing our OWLs. And my ears are going to implode."
Lily turned around and hastily stuffed her things into her bag. She spun back around, involuntarily banging into his chest.
James Potter was way too close for comfort. And when had the door closed?
"You wound me, darling!" James winked as Lily backed away as much as possible, glaring.

"Move, Potter." She said, reaching into her robes for her wand. "I'm serious, don't make me hex you!"
Lily saw him open his mouth to retaliate but quickly continued. "And don't even dare make another 'serious-sirius' joke. You and your idiot friends killed that one in first year." James laughed.
"I'll have to agree Evans, you read my mind." He reached up and loosened his tie, as if he too was realising how bloody little air there was in the cupboard. "Why in such a hurry?"
Lily rolled her eyes.
"I'm meeting a friend soon, and I'm not going to be late because of you."
James raised an eyebrow. "Who? Marlene's with Sirius…don't ask," He added as Lily gasped slightly. "Alice is with Frank and as far as I know, Hestia is in Hogsmeade trying to talk to one Amos Diggory."
Lily tightened her grip on the heavy books she was carrying.
"And how, do you possibly know all of that?" How did he know where her friends were when she herself hadn't known anything? Marlene and Sirius…when had that happened?

"Well Evans, if I told you that, you'd learn one of the marauder's top secrets…and i'm afraid I can't divulge such information to a non-marauder. Even if it is you, darling."
Lily scowled.
"Oh, don't twist up your face like that, someone might hit you with a freezing charm and it'd be stuck forever!"
Now choosing to simply ignore him, Lily pushed past and made for the door.

Of course, she was Lily Evans and nothing in her awful life could ever be so simple. She tripped over a bucket just as her hand clasped the door handle. James launched forwards and grabbed her other wrist, cursing loudly. "Lily, wait!"
They both fell out of the cupboard. On top of each other.
The corridor was crowded and their exit had cause a loud commotion; almost everyone stopped and stared at them. Shocked whispers whipped through the hall. Lily was lying, legs sprawled and skirt pushed up to an indecent length. She could practically see her nose turning red if she looked between her eyes.
James lifted his head, which had previously been sitting on Lily's chest. He gulped.
Lily hissed at him. "Potter," She whispered, voice high pitched. "Potter. Get off me now!" James stumbled up, for once looking dumbfounded.
"Nothing to see here! Move along!" He addressed the crowd, but the whispers were growing louder into excited, fast paced speech.
James looked down at Lily, who was struggling not to just give up and die. Honestly, what was the point of life?

"Patrick, you owe me 10 galleons!" A voice from the back said as another moaned.
"Potter and Evans!" Another shouted. "I knew it!"
"Wait 'till I tell Mary!" A shrill voice sounded from the middle.

By now, Lily had come to her senses. She got up and made smoothed her skirt with her hands, feeling rather faint.
"Everyone!" Lily practically screamed, unable to keep composed. "Potter and I are not going out! Nor were we, er, snogging in the broom cupboard!"
A few scoffed.
"Yeah and I'm a house elf in disguise!"
"We're not stupid!"
Lily clenched her fists, a feeling of hopelessness rising in her chest.
"We're bloody not! I was in there trying to get away from him but he found me! I tripped on my way out!"
Without another glance at Potter or the crowd, Lily walked away as fast as possible without actually breaking into a run. Maybe she could go and find a nice, quiet place to die slowly of embarassment. The astronomy tower, perhaps?

Once she had turned a corner and was certain she hadn't been followed by Potter or any members of his bloody fan club, Lily stopped walking and raised a hand to her eyes, squeezing them closed for a moment. She kicked the wall with her foot, causing pain to shoot up her leg. Lily let out a long spew of swear words, making a passing first year jump. Lily scowled at him, and he sped up along the corridor.
She sighed; James Potter always brought out the worst in her.

Needing a friend to console her, Lily started off towards the Gryffindor common room before remembering about what Potter had said. All of her friends were busy. Except...Severus. That's who she really needed to talk too…but would he care?

He had been acting strangely for a while, always removed from their conversations. She had always feared that they would inevitably grow apart; he was Slytherin and she was Gryffindor. From the moment they had been sorted in first year, Lily had been expected to view him as the enemy.
Merlin, how stupid was that? How could Dumbledore natter on about wizarding unity…when everyone was split up into factions ten seconds after arriving at Hogwarts? Stamped and marked before the feast even began. She was to look at the colours on someone's tie, the animal on their crest, and decide whether they could be her friend or not? It wasn't right. Severus was her best friend, more like a brother to her. Yet she was expected to be friends with the likes of James Potter and the marauders.
Lily continued down the corridor, already late for meeting with Severus at the lake.

As Lily approached, she saw him sitting beneath the oak tree. He had his back to her, though it stiffened as her footsteps approached.
"Lily," He muttered, still not turning around. "You're late."
She sat down beside him, only catching a glimpse of the strange looking book he had open before he slammed it shut and tucked it away in his bag.
"Yeah I know…I got held up."
He looked across at her, and Lily was unable to ignore the dark circles under his eyes, seemingly more pronounced than usual.
"Held up?"
She stared out onto the lake, pulling her scarf closer around her neck.
For the end of April, it was rather cold. "Yeah…in the great hall...Marlene had to talk to me about something...some drama with Sirius...er, I mean, Black."
Severus nodded once, tilting his head at her.
"Well, you're here now I guess."
She met his eyes, feeling awkward. She'd just lied…why? It was Severus, after all.
"How're you, anyway?
He shrugged. "Fine."

Lily doubted that very much.
"You sure?" Lily placed a hand on his shoulder and he tensed at the contact. "I don't know about those friends you hang around with…Avery and Mulciber, I mean, aren't they from those pureblood extremist families? Along with the Malfoys and Blacks?"
Severus shifted a little away.

"They're my friends."
"I'm your friend, Sev." She sighed. "I just…don't want you to get hurt."
"I'm not going to get hurt! I know what I'm doing."
Lily raised her eyebrows. "And what exactly are you doing, Sev?"
Severus didn't reply, staring out over the lake with unmistakeable sadness in his eyes.

Lily decided not to push the subject anymore.
"So, still re-writing Advanced Potion Making then?"
Severus brightened considerably, and began chatting about beginning to create his own hexes and jinx's.
"Just little things so far...I'm working on this fascinating one right now though, would come in handy whenever the marauders are near."
Lily frowned.
"That's great Severus, just be careful."
He looked over in annoyance. "What? You don't think I can handle Potter and Black?"
Lily shook her head quickly. "No, it's just…oh I don't know Severus. They are pretty smart, right? And everyone knows transfiguration is their strong point…I guess I'm worried they would turn you into a ferret or something and feed you to the giant squid."
Severus turned and glared at her. "Nice to know you have such confidence in me." He said stonily.

"Oh come on Sev, you know what I mean!"
"No, Lily! I don't think I do!" He shouted, suddenly getting to his feet. "Want to know what I think? I think you might actually be starting to like Potter!"
Lily laughed. "Don't be an idiot Severus. You know how much I can't stand him."
"He's the enemy Lily!"
She rolled her eyes.
"What is it with all this rubbish about enemies? We all go to the same school!"
Severus muttered something Lily didn't catch. She stood and walked closer to him, hesitantly touching his hand.
"Severus, you know I detest the marauders. Always have, always will."
He looked at her strangely, nothing behind his eyes. She felt the friendship begin to crumble as he took a step back towards the lake. "Things are changing, Lily."